


"okay?" "okay."

by claryschild



Series: Two times Todd and Neil almost kissed, and then when they actually did. [3]
Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Fluff, Lemon, Love my gay babies, M/M, Making Out, anderperry, anderperry supremacy, cottage core kinda, i love my gays, no regrets, onlypain, unedited bc we die like men, wrote this instead of sleeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26734531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/claryschild/pseuds/claryschild
Summary: The boys burst into peals of laughter. Todd and Neil looked at each other amid the chaos and smiled in the way they only ever smiled at each other.“Okay?”“Better than okay.”or, in which, Todd and Neil finally kiss.OR, in which, the author reclaims "okay?" "okay." for a queer ship bc fck Joe blue
Relationships: Todd Anderson & Neil Perry, Todd Anderson/Neil Perry
Series: Two times Todd and Neil almost kissed, and then when they actually did. [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1945711
Comments: 6
Kudos: 101





	"okay?" "okay."

In humans, blastocyst formation begins about 5 days after fertilization when a fluid-filled cavity opens up in the morula. In humans, blastocyst formation begins about – 

Neil couldn’t get himself to move past that one sentence. He simply couldn’t focus on the words in front of his eyes. He was tired from the day’s classes and just wanted to get back to his room and sleep his exhaustion away. But Todd – his roommate, with his soft brown hair and even softer brown eyes - had plans to study in the library for the upcoming tests in the following week. Neil had just meant to give him company, but he hadn’t expected to have to spend the next two hours in the library.

He looked up from his textbook and at the boy seated across him.

His upper body was moving back and forth, in the way one does when they’re focused, as he studied from the textbook lying on the library table, annotated all over with his careful handwriting. He kept his chestnut hair swept back from his forehead with his hand – making it impossible to ignore how his forehead wrinkled every now and then. When that happened, he’d stop moving for a second, go back and reread and then he’d resume his oscillating rhythm. 

Neil found himself smiling without realizing it. Todd had that effect on him. 

“Ahem.” Neil said. 

Todd looked up after a moment with his eyebrow raised, “You’re aware you said ‘ahem’ instead of actually clearing your throat, right?”

Neil blushed. “Yeah, I know. That was the joke, idiot.” 

“I don’t have time for your lame jokes, Perry.” Todd pointed his pencil at him. “There’s so much portion to complete and not enough time at all.” The brunet groaned and leaned back on his chair. 

“You should take a break. I think you’re worrying yourself too much.” Neil suggested. “A break?! Do I look like I can take a break? I still have three chapters to finish revising and then there’s the guide book questions and the – ”

Neil stood up, leaned over the table and plucked the pencil out of Todd’s hand. “That’s it. You’re coming with me. If you keep stressing like this, your hair’s gonna go white. And I refuse to roomie with a gross old man.” It was his turn to point the pencil at the other boy this time. Neil walked over to Todd’s side of the table, grabbing both of their backpacks “C’mon!”

“Neil! Hey, wait up!” Todd called out as he quickly gathered his books and rushed to catch up with the taller boy who was already striding ahead of him. 

Neil smiled to himself, satisfied at being able to get Todd to leave his books alone for a while. Todd caught his bag as Neil tossed it to him, slinging it over his shoulder. “Where are we even going?” 

“It’s the weekend, my friend. We can go anywhere!” Neil declared as they exited the school building. Neil laughed when he heard Todd make a sound of exasperation behind him. He paused walking for a moment to let the other boy catch up with him, and when he did, he ruffled his hair and swung his arm around his shoulders. “Smile a little, my sweet. I promise you’ll have fun.”

Todd fake gagged. “You and your sappy nicknames, ugh.” Neil leaned down to speak near the shorter boy’s ear, “If you hate them so much, why are you so red right now?” Todd screeched and pushed Neil away from him.

“I fucking h-hate you.” He spat out and blushed even harder than before. Neil refrained from pointing that out, or Todd may just combust there in the cycle park itself, and instead just grinned. They made their way to their bicycles, parked next to each other, and got onto them. “Okay?” Neil asked, as he usually did. Just an ‘okay?’ to affirm whether Todd was comfortable to not with whatever it was that they were doing. 

“Mhm.” Todd nodded, stuffing his books inside his bag and looking up at Neil to smile. Neil felt a painful pang in his heart at the sight of the other boy’s smiling face. He smiled back. God, he was SO angsty, he put all the teenage fanfiction writers to shame. 

Before they could leave school grounds, though, Neil suddenly remembered something. “Hey, just wait a minute, okay? I need to get something, but I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Todd nodded and Neil dashed off. Sure enough, he was back real quick, his cheeks red from having run back. 

“Where did’ya go?” Todd asked. “I’ll tell you later. C’mon.” Neil hurriedly got back on the cycle and then they set off.

The two boys cycled at the same pace; talking, joking and laughing with ease as they made their way to wherever it was that Neil wanted to go. Their scenery changed from shopping complexes, quaint diners and residential houses to fields of yellow plants dancing in the breeze, clumps of forest green trees and rustic painted farmhouses. 

“Wow. Why’ve I never been here?” Todd said in wonderment as he took in the serene landscape. “Because you never look up from your stupid books.” Neil answered. Todd rolled his eyes, “Weren’t you the same until like – a few months ago?” Neil hummed in agreement. “What changed?” Todd prodded

Neil looked sideways at him. “I found better things to be interested in.”

“Oh.” Todd muttered dumbly, not quite understanding what Neil meant.

“Alright, slow down here.” Neil said as they neared a large cluster of trees. The boys deposited their bicycles on the grass and Todd let Neil lead him through the trees. 

“Okay?” Neil asked, looking behind him to check on Todd, while they were passing through the trees.

“The grass is kinda gross but I’m fine, no worries.” Todd answered, shrieking immediately after finishing his sentence. He rushed towards Neil and grabbed his sweater, “What?!” Neil exclaimed. “Bug. Big bug.” Todd said sheepishly, still clutching onto Neil’s sweater. Neil laughed and took Todd’s hand off his sweater and clasped it with his own, pulling him closer to his own body. “You have a very…erm…entertaining scream. I thought it was a girl for a split second.”

“Fuck off.” Todd scowled, his cheeks colored pink. “This is all your fault, bitch.” Neil tutted, “Watch the language Mr. Anderson, or I may just grab another bug and put it on your pretty little head.” He warned, imitating the dean’s voice. 

“Gross. You sound just like him.” Todd giggled. Neil chuckled just as they made their way out of the trees and stepped onto the bank of a lake. Todd gasped, letting go of Neil’s hand and walking ahead to admire the scenery. 

The pristine water body shone like a giant emerald in the light of the setting sun. A soft breeze was blowing, making the reeds in the water whistle faintly amongst themselves. The tree branches moved with the wind, whispering and muttering as if they were conversing about the teenage boys who’d intruded on their land.

Todd got startled when Neil rested his chin in the crook of his neck, “You hear that?” The shorter boy blushed but didn’t move – he liked the proximity of their bodies; he could feel the warmth radiating off of Neil. “The birds?” Todd enquired softly.

Todd felt a pain in his chest when Neil moved away from his position and came to stand right next to him. The shorter boy tried not to pout in disappointment. “Yeah. They’re Wood Thrushes. They’re looking for a mate to spend their spring with.”

“It’s really magical.” Todd whispered, totally in awe now that he was really listening; the lovely bird song ringing more clearly to him. “Eeh-oh-lay.” He said after a second, in a musical voice. He giggled in embarrassment right after saying it. “Sorry, that just – um…slipped out.” 

“Don’t apologize. It was cute.” Neil said quietly. Todd blushed for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day and turned to face the other boy. But he’d already started walking away from the edge of the bank. Neil knelt where their schoolbags were resting against a tree and gently pulled a plastic box out of his bag.

“What’s that?” Todd asked, walking towards him. Neil opened the box and looked up at him, smiling as the deliciously familiar aroma hit them both. 

“Cookies!” Todd exclaimed. He got down to his knees next to Neil and took out one of the biscuits, “Can I?” 

“Of course, dummy. They’re for you” Neil chuckled.

Todd sat down cross legged as he bit into the baked delight, and he almost cried from how euphorically good it was. It’d been a while since he’d had a good cookie, and Todd absolutely loved a good chocolate cookie. It’d been the only sweet he’d ever been fond of, since childhood. “Why aren’t you eating any?” Todd asked through his chewing, looking up at Neil; only to find him looking at him with a strange expression. His dark eyes seemed darker than ever but somehow, they only made him look more endearing, rather than threatening. 

Todd had a sudden desire to kiss the boy. 

What?

Why the ever-loving fuck did he just think of kissing Neil? Neil, of all people? Neil, a boy. Neil, his friend, his roommate? Little did Todd know but Neil had the exact same thought on his mind. Well, at least the kissing part. He wasn’t wondering why he wanted to do it. He knew he liked Todd. Realized it after only a week of knowing him.

And now here he was, looking down at the other boy as he gazed back at him with his lips slightly parted (mouth breather), cookie crumbs littering the side of his mouth. Neil was bursting at the seam with words to say, but he couldn’t get them to leave his mouth. His heart was thundering inside his chest. He didn’t know – didn’t know what to say or do. Top of the class Neil Perry who always knew what to do, who was always the one leading the others and telling them what to do, was a total dumbfounded idiot in love when it came to Todd Anderson. 

“Neil?” the other boy spoke softly, cautious as to not disturb the moment. 

“Todd.” Neil said, scooting closer towards the quiet boy.

He brushed the crumbs off Todd’s cheek with a gentle thumb, causing him to visibly shiver. He cupped his cheek with his hand and tilted his face upwards. Todd’s eyes were wide open. As if he didn’t want to miss a single second of what was happening. 

he wants this, right? Neil thought. He did not want to make things awkward with the other boy at all. He was too dear to him. He didn’t care if he didn’t get to kiss him – he’d suppress his yearning until it eventually became so faint it’d feel like a fever dream, but he would not lose Todd’s friendship in any circumstance.

“Todd,” Neil started.

The other boy blinked in response. 

“Okay?” 

Todd’s lips parted with a pop, his eyes glistening, “Okay.” He said finally.

Neil felt a hurricane of emotions inside his chest. It was getting hard to breathe – and it felt like the only way he’d be able to breathe again was if 

he kissed Todd. 

Their lips met with all the tenderness of a thousand white doves. Todd whimpered when Neil brought both hands up to hold his face properly, canting his head upwards – making him reach for him. Electricity danced under Neil’s skin when Todd timidly put his hands on Neil’s waist, pawing at his blazer. Neil tilted his head and pushed his tongue into the other boy’s mouth. Todd gasped at the obscene, practiced technique Neil was using to kiss him – 

he was doing this nice thing with his chin. Moving it up and down. Tilting his head. Pushing Todd back even farther. And Todd let him. It felt so fucking blissful to just have his entire guard down for once and let this boy make him feel good. Neil pushed Todd down completely and quickly started kissing down his neck. Todd had never felt so flustered. He grabbed Neil’s shoulders to stop him from being so aggressive, but Neil just grabbed his wrists and pinned them in the grass, next to his head. 

He sucked on his collarbone. Making a mark there. Assessing the already forming violet-red bruise. Swallowing the delicious sounds Todd was making. Using his mouth to make more pretty bruises on the boy’s already pretty neck. 

“Neil.” Todd whimpered. “Neil – Neil, we shoud head b-back. It’s almost curfew time.” 

Neil looked up at Todd’s rosy face, his lips hung open – panting for breath. Eyes gone dark to an extent that they looked black. “Sorry. I wasn’t listening. I was a bit distracted; you see. Mind repeating that for me?”

“Neil. Get – get off. Now.” 

“no.” Neil moved upwards to kiss Todd’s lips again. He sucked on his cold lips until they became warm and then some more. Neil relished the taste of. Todd’s mouth. 

The chocolate chip cookie he’d had right before Neil pounced on him. 

Kissing Todd was quickly moving up Neil’s list of favorite things to do. Number two was spending time with Todd. Number three was looking at Todd while he slept. Number four was taking care of Todd – you get the gist. 

Eventually, Todd did get Neil to get off of him and the two boys made their way to their abandoned cycles, tightly clasping each other’s hands. They kissed some more against the tree their cycles were lying under. Neil pinning the shorter boy against the tree with his knee shoved between his legs, blocking all possible ways of escape. 

They cycled back to campus with hearts full of ecstasy. There was a gracefulness to their movements and a rosy glow to their faces – that they were made aware of by their friends. 

Later that night when they all of them assembled in Todd and Neil’s room, Charlie simply asked Neil, “You initiated it didn’t you, you sly fucker?” 

“W-what?” both Todd and Neil squeaked in unison. 

Knox howled with laughter, “Wow, did you want us to act surprised? With the way you fools were smiling at each other during dinner and exchanging all those looks? Y’all were practically eye-fucked.”

“Yeah. Like four rounds at least.” Meeks confirmed, doing a vulgar gesture with his hands and laughing geekily afterwards.

Todd and Neil exchanged panicked looks laced with confusion with each other. 

“Please, you both. The only ones who didn’t know you both were in love with each other were –” Gerard broke off, expecting someone to complete his sentence. 

When no one did, he slapped his forehead with his hand, “YOU BOTH! YOU BOTH WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO DIDN’T KNOW! THAT’S THE FUCKING ANSWER! I FUCKING HATE ALL OF YOU!”

The boys burst into peals of laughter. Todd and Neil looked at each other amid the chaos and smiled in the way they only ever smiled at each other.

“Okay?”

“Better than okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> last chapter! yay! thanks if you read all three parts of this series :) it was vv fulfilling and fun for me to write and I hope you liked reading it too < 333


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